Routine, Respite, General Inpatient, and Continuous Care

Hospice Home Care cares for the terminally ill and helps patients live their final days to the fullest, as free as possible from disabling pain and mental anguish – usually in the setting of their own home, or the home of their choice.

Routine Hospice Care

Routine care is the most common care type focused on providing physical, spiritual, and emotional support to patients and families. This care type can be provided anywhere that is considered home, including the home setting, assisted living facilities, personal care homes, and nursing homes. Hospice Home Care will provide all medications, equipment, and supplies related to the terminal illness or for comfort management.

Hospice team members make regularly scheduled house calls to assess the patient and provide additional care or other services to address the unique needs and desires of each patient. Hospice staff are also available at all times on an on-call basis. We have a unique model of clinical responsiveness after business hours to provide the highest level of support 24-hours each day to everyone we serve.

Respite Care

Respite care is utilized to provide temporary relief to caregivers, allowing them personal time to rest and recuperate. This type of care is provided in a licensed nursing facility for a maximum of 5 consecutive days. Hospice Home Care will provide transportation, medications, equipment, supplies, and will cover up to 5 days of room and board payment.

When the Comfort Care Center (Hospice Home Care’s Inpatient Facility) is available, respite care can be provided at that location. If the respite stay is in a hospital or nursing home, the patient’s hospice team still oversees the care provided.

Services provided by hospice include:

Bathing and personal care by a certified nursing assistant
Regular visits from the Hospice Chaplain, Social Worker and Volunteer Coordinator
Hospice-trained and certified volunteer support
Family bereavement services
Medication management & pharmacy pick-up as needed
Medical equipment and supplies
Regular individual patient care plan meetings with facility staff

General Inpatient Care

General inpatient care is utilized to provide short-term crisis management for severe symptoms and/or pain. This type of care is provided in a Medicare-approved skilled nursing facility (SNF). Patients are re-evaluated on a 24-hour basis to assess continued eligibility and establish length of stay. Hospice Home Care will work in collaboration with the SNF to fulfill all medication and supply needs. Hospice Home Care will reimburse the SNF for as long as this care type is deemed clinically necessary.

Hospice Home Care operates the largest free-standing hospice inpatient center in the state of Arkansas. With 36-beds, the Comfort Care Center serves patients with advanced life-limiting illnesses who have physical symptoms that cannot be reasonably managed in the home setting.

Staffing ratios for the inpatient facility exceed hospital standards. In addition to regular and frequent physician visits, registered nurses, certified nursing assistants, pharmacy, social, spiritual and volunteer services are readily available to patients and families.

Continuous Care

Continuous care is utilized to provide short-term crisis management. This 24-hour care type is provided by a licensed nurse in any setting that is considered home. Hospice Home Care will provide all necessary medications, equipment, and supplies relating to the terminal illness or comfort management. A reassessment for continued eligibility will occur every hour to establish length of stay required for pain management.

The most difficult and underutilized level of care under the Hospice Benefit, Continuous Care is often referred to as “crisis care.” However, the Hospice Benefit describes the hourly services of nurses and aides as Continuous Care. This is a difficult level of care to initiate and few hospices elect to be nimble and willing to provide this service.

Our services include:

On-Call Hospice Support – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Pain Management – Treatments to help with pain and discomfort
Symptom Management – Treatments to aid with anxiety, breathing, nausea and other symptoms
Medication Coordination – Allows proper medication to be available when needed
Registered Hospice Nurses Visits – Scheduled to meet your individualized hospice nursing care plan

Nurse Aide Visits – Scheduled to aid with personal care: bathing, feeding, dressing and other duties
Hospice Team Visits – Hospice counseling, program implementation, insurance coverage, support and follow-up visits
Volunteer Visits – Scheduled for companionship, errands and light duties
Bereavement Services – 13-month bereavement services post-death to all family members and loved ones

Take the Worry Out of Care

We take the worry out of coordinating delivery of hospice medicines and the setup of hospital beds, shower chairs, wheelchairs, walkers, oxygen and other equipment and supplies. The care plan is designed so you can live comfortably, in your own home or nursing community, surrounded by your loved ones.

Hospice Home Care has a specially trained interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals and volunteers provide the latest and most innovative approach to address all aspects of care, allowing the patient and family to focus on maintaining quality of life.

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